


Rumour Has It

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [37]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asgardian Tony Stark, Declarations Of Love, Doubt, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Happy Ending, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Gets a Hug, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loyalty, M/M, Promises, Romantic Fluff, Rumors, Telepathy, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21870592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: When Loki hears a rumour that Anthony has been unfaithful, he doesn’t believe it. But doubt can be a ratherinsidiousthing.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Going Down Swinging [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330490
Comments: 49
Kudos: 614





	Rumour Has It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/gifts).



> So there's a chance that I got a little trigger happy with italics in this fic, for, _reasons_ 🤔 I apologise, I suppose, if it feels like I'm... abusing them 🙂  
>   
> Thanks STARS for the plot idea!  
>   
>  **Prompt** — _“You have my word.”_

When the whispers first reached Loki’s ear, he dismissed them out of hand. He knew Anthony, and trusted him _implicitly_. There was not a doubt in his mind that the whispers were nothing of substance.

He knew how easily word could spread, after all. News of the beginning of their courtship had spread quickly, for it was not ordinary nor even heard of for a prince of the realm to be with a weapon smith, even one so lauded for his skills as Anthony Howardson. There had been many who remained unhappy at the upset to tradition and the lost chance of a strategic marriage, but Loki and Anthony loved each other more than _anything_ , and they were willing to withstand a little ridicule among the people if it meant that the realm could know they belonged to one another.

It did mean, however, that they both suffered from undue attention, and that from the moment the whispers first arose, Loki was being bombarded with them at every possible turn.

But this… was something different. Something less vague, more targeted– more _common._

His first hint was a conversation between two ladies who thought they were being subtle– and then he saw the way a few servants halted their ardent discussion immediately as they noticed him walking toward them. He saw the pitied glances from the Einherjar in the halls, and he took note of the way that Fandral was actually nice to him during their sparring session that morning.

Through it all Loki kept his head high, _sure_ that the whispers had to be false, because he knew that Anthony _wouldn’t_.

But then… he heard the same in conversations everywhere, with very little variation even in tales that originated from separate sources. And as the day wore on, the whispers turned to rumours, and the rumours were given substance. Anthony had been _seen_ leaving the tavern with a young woman and going into her home, and her neighbours had spotted him leaving quietly the following morn. Since their announcement Anthony had become quite well known, and it was getting more and more difficult to _believe_ that every single one of these people could have been mistaken.

Loki believed anyway of course, because to do otherwise was unthinkable. He refused to even _contemplate_ that what they were saying was the truth, and he focused on going about his duties for the day– at least until the rumour was confirmed beyond what even the most stubborn of minds could attempt to explain.

It was just past midday when Thor and Fandral accosted Loki in the hallway, their expressions sad. Thor _started_ to talk but his words seemed to catch in his throat, so Fandral sighed and took the reins.

“We’ve noticed that you… are not taking these rumours seriously,” he started.

“Of course not,” Loki said, keeping his voice as level as he could manage, fighting down the anger that rose up immediately at the implication. “They are _rumours_.”

“They are more than that,” Fandral said.

Loki shook his head and went to push past them, not _wanting_ to listen to their drivel– but stopped as Fandral reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“Loki, you need to accept the truth,” Fandral said. “Please. You deserve better than this.”

“ _He_ is better than this,” Loki snapped, yanking his arm from Fandral’s grasp. “I know that he wouldn’t do anything like that!”

“I don’t want to believe it either,” said Thor, placing a hand on Loki’s shoulder and shooting Fandral a sharp glare. “Loki, if you say that Anthony remains true, then I believe _you_. But if he has done this to you, brother, then I shall ensure that he rues the day he ever sought to hurt you.”

“He wouldn’t,” Loki said again, though he knew it likely sounded as if he were trying just as hard to convince himself as he was everyone else. “I know that we have not been courting for long, but I also know him. I know that he wouldn’t do this, with more certainty than I’ve ever known anything.”

Loki turned and left then, leaving the other two standing in the hall, still appearing unconvinced. He had hoped that would be it– after all, this was not their stand to make, and he doubted that either of them _cared_ enough to try any harder to protect his heart than they already had. Surely, they would assume that their duty was done and leave him to his own devices as they did with everything else.

But it was less than an hour later that a shadow fell over the book that Loki was trying to read, and he glanced up from his bench to see that Fandral had sought him out once more– and that this time, he had brought with him _proof_.

“No,” Loki said, closing his book and getting to his feet. “Fandral, I did not ask for this. You will _leave—_ ”

“Loki, I don’t mean to hurt you,” Fandral said, holding out his hands. Loki’s gaze flickered to the figure standing behind him, his gold armour glinting in the afternoon sun and reflecting the colour of the flowers that bloomed through the garden.

“Then _why_ are you here?” Loki asked.

“Heimdall has seen the truth.” Fandral’s expression bled with sympathy, and the sight of it made something horrid curl through Loki’s gut.

“Loki, the rumours are true. I saw it with my own eyes,” Heimdall said, his firm tone leaving no room for any argument. “There is no denying it. Anthony Howardson is not faithful to you.”

“No,” Loki said again. His book slipped from his fingers but he did not bend to retrieve it– he left it in the grass as he backed away, his hands coming up to first run through his hair and then tug at it in desperate agony. “ _No_. You’re lying, this isn’t– he _wouldn’t_ —”

“I do not lie, _Liesmith_ , as you well know,” Heimdall said firmly. “I have left my post to confirm this for you, but I must return—”

“Then you must be mistaken,” Loki snapped. “Anthony and I have _promised_ that we would—”

“Please, Loki,” Fandral said. “Don’t let this hurt you more than it needs to. End it now, before it only gets worse.”

Loki shook his head again, not knowing how to respond to that– not knowing how to tell Fandral that he couldn’t imagine anything hurting more than this already did, that the smallest, _tiniest_ sliver of doubt that Heimdall’s confirmation had forced into his mind was already an agony that he couldn’t process.

His mind was whirring, trying to make sense of it all, trying to logically fit the pieces together in a way that matched what he thought he knew. But the more he thought about it, the more the rumours began to make sense.

After all, Loki was hardly loved like Thor– he knew that he could be sharp and cold, and he knew that he wasn’t what was considered typical of a good warrior. He used his seiðr in battle and he liked to play tricks to gain the upper hand. Maybe Anthony had realised the sort of person he was in the process of tying himself to, and did not wish for their courtship to go on any longer? Or perhaps it was the ridicule that was getting to him, perhaps Anthony could no longer _bear_ having his every move scrutinised by the entire realm purely because he was with the younger prince. Maybe he wanted a break from all of that– or maybe Loki simply wasn’t enough, and Anthony wanted more than what Loki was able to give?

_No_.

Loki squeezed his eyes closed, and focused in on the memories he had made with Anthony. On the way that Anthony looked at him as if he were something precious, on the way that Anthony smiled in the mornings as he ran his fingers over Loki’s cheek. On the delighted, reverent spark that had entered Anthony’s gaze when Loki had asked him for a courtship, on the gentle, the passionate, the _loving_ kisses that they had shared which held so much more within them than a physical desire.

Loki _knew_ that Anthony loved him. There was only one person in the realm who could convince Loki to believe otherwise, and that person was certainly not Heimdall.

“I need to talk to Anthony,” Loki said, backing away from Heimdall and Fandral, wanting to go as soon as he could to prove that they were wrong– though he did have one other thing to say. “Do _not_ tell Thor. Neither of you will even _hint_ to Thor that Heimdall saw what he did. If after I have spoken to Anthony, I…” Loki swallowed the words down. “I will tell Thor myself.”

“Good luck, Loki,” Fandral said.

Loki did not turn back as he gathered his seiðr and hurried away– but he hoped that he was right, and that he would not need Fandral’s wish of luck.

—

Loki skywalked not directly into Anthony’s smithy as he had in the past, but rather to the back door, where he knew Anthony would be able to hear his arrival. His knock was far steadier than the rapid beat of his heart, and he held his hands behind his back afterward so that he could hide the way that they trembled as he heard a muffled shout from inside.

The door opened just a crack, suspicious brown eyes peeking out at first– no doubt due to the simple oddity of having someone knock on the back door instead of calling out from the shop. But the moment those eyes landed on Loki, they widened in surprise.

“Loki?” Anthony asked. He looked a little confused, but he opened the door wide immediately– and then his brow creased into a frown as he looked Loki over properly. “Are you all right?”

“No,” Loki admitted, knowing there was no point in even trying to hide the pain in his tone. “I– do you mind if I come in?”

Anthony opened the door wide, and stepped out of the way. As Loki entered, he felt more nervous than he had since the very first few times he had visited, when he was first trying to capture Anthony’s attention. His hands would be wringing if they were not so tightly clasped behind him, and he knew that his skin must be rather pale.

“Loki, what’s wrong?” Anthony asked cautiously, shutting the door and moving to stand closer, but Loki stopped him with a shake of his head.

“I need to ask you something,” he whispered, knowing that it would be better to get the issue over and _dealt with_ rather than trying to dance around a greeting. “I need to know the truth.”

Anthony was still frowning, still looking as if he wanted to do something in comfort, but Loki pressed on. 

“Anthony,” Loki said, swallowing down the fear that rose as bile up his throat. “This isn’t something that I want to– I don’t– Anthony, I really don’t _believe_ it, but the evidence—”

“Hey, shh,” Anthony said– and he reached out for Loki, but Loki couldn’t help the way that he flinched from his touch. He needed a clear head for this, and he knew that if he was in Anthony’s arms, he would never be able to truly think this through.

Anthony’s expression crumpled. “Loki?” he whispered. “What’s happened?”

“There is a rumour,” Loki said, forcing himself to speak, not caring that he sounded on the verge of sobbing– just wanting the words to be said. “And I didn’t believe it, and I still don’t _want_ to believe it. But Heimdall said that he saw it, and while that would normally be proof enough, it’s not for me. Not in _this_.”

“You’re arguing with Heimdall?” Anthony asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood– but it fell flat.

“Tell me he’s wrong,” Loki begged. “Anthony, please, tell me that everyone is _wrong_.”

“Loki, I really wish that I could, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need some more detail.” Anthony appeared to be _truly_ confused, with none of the dread one would expect from a person who knew a secret had been discovered.

“You were seen leaving the tavern last night, with a lady on your arm,” Loki said hoarsely. “Others saw you going toward her home, and her neighbours claim that you left there this morning, just after dawn.”

“That wasn’t me,” Anthony denied instantly. “Loki, I _swear_ , I– you said Heimdall saw it?”

Loki jerked his head, and Anthony stepped forward again. This time, Loki didn’t move away as Anthony cupped his hands around Loki’s cheeks, holding his gaze imploringly.

“I don’t know how that’s possible, but I swear, I was right _here_ in the workshop all night,” Anthony said.

And Loki _ached_ , because he so wanted to believe that. Had he heard those words earlier in the day they would have filled him with relief, and he tried, oh he _tried_ to let his heart bring his mind back into the light. But the doubt had hold of him, a rot gnawing through everything else.

“Loki, my love,” Anthony pleaded, stepping closer still, his hands sliding down to Loki’s shoulders. “Look into my mind. Let me prove that it’s wrong.”

The thought was a tempting one, but it made Loki cringe, because– “I shouldn’t need—”

“It doesn’t matter whether you shouldn’t or not,” Anthony said firmly. “Loki, I adore the trust that you have in me, but I know that this isn’t just going to go away. There are going to be more people who doubt, but I don’t ever want _you_ to have a reason to do so. This way, you can know for sure, and I would rather know that you’re not in pain than keep something to myself that I would prefer you know regardless.”

“Are you not worried that I might search through the rest of your mind?” Loki asked. “There will be nothing to stop me.”

“I trust you,” Anthony replied simply, holding Loki’s gaze. “And I know that you won’t.”

Drawing a deep breath, Loki placed the palm of his hand to Anthony’s forehead, and his eyes fell shut as he tumbled into Anthony’s mind.

The memory of the night before was at the forefront, and it was simple to glance through, to confirm the time, to be _sure_ that the memory was real. Anthony was telling the truth– he had spent the entire night in the workshop, focused on a commission that he had been given too little time to finish. He had fallen asleep at his bench, and upon waking had merely moved straight back to his work again.

And _then_ , finally, Loki felt his surge of relief, _knowing_ beyond any kind of doubt that it wasn’t true. Anthony hadn’t done anything wrong, the rumours were truly rumours, and all of Loki’s fears were unfounded. Loki moved to pull back so that he could hold Anthony properly, so that he could kiss him and beg for forgiveness but– then Anthony was drawing Loki deeper into his mind, as if there was something else that he wanted Loki to see—

A _surge_ of emotion, entirely overwhelming and almost enough to bring Loki to his knees. It was joy and delight, it was adoration and devotion and _love_. It was the feeling of flying high above the clouds and yet being grounded all at the same time, it was the sensation of knowing that anything was possible– and it was everything that Anthony felt when he was with Loki.

“You truly do love me,” Loki whispered, his eyes opening to stare at Anthony in awe– and although he had already known it, this was the first time that he could truly understand exactly what that _meant_.

“More than anything,” Anthony swore. “Loki, I will _never_ betray you. You have my word.”

Loki whimpered, and leaned close into Anthony’s waiting embrace. He pressed their lips together and kissed him with all the relief, with all the love that he felt, his hands pressing into Anthony’s back and pulling him as tightly to Loki as was possible.

He didn’t know _how_ this had happened– maybe it had been a lookalike, or an illusion, or a shapeshifter. Maybe one of those people who did not like that a prince was courting a weapon smith had plotted to try and break them apart. Loki didn’t know, but in that moment it didn’t _matter,_ because he knew that the emotion between them was strong enough to withstand whatever came their way.

“I love you, too,” Loki said, the words quieter than a whisper but burning with truth. “And I’m so, so sorry that I ever doubted you.”

“You believed when no one else ever would have,” Anthony replied. “You trusted enough that even when it was impossible to deny, you still came to speak with me first. I wouldn’t call that doubt, Loki. In fact, I think I might say that’s the exact opposite.”

Loki’s laugh was incredulous but bright, and any remaining tension melted away as he leaned his head down on Anthony’s shoulder. He knew in that moment that anyone who wished to tear them apart would be met with more resistance than they expected– just as whoever had crafted this plot had misjudged them. 

For while others might believe in rumours, they would always believe more in each other.


End file.
